Is youth wasted on the young?

My father used to say “youth is wasted on the young.” I’m not so sure he’s right, but I do know that experience and wisdom teaches you a lot, and you can’t gain wisdom until you get the experience, that’s for sure.

When I was a kid, I had no patience at all. I still don’t have much patience, but one thing I do have now, is more realistic expectations about results I can expect from things, and these expectations have a way of sort of “regulating” your patience a little better.

Make sense?

So for example, when I first picked up a guitar, years ago, I was expecting to play Stairway To Heaven like Jimmy Page did, within a month or so, of “pretty heavy” practicing. Turns out it really doesn’t work that way — even Jimmy Page didn’t get to be Jimmy Page after a month. But not knowing any better, I got discouraged and never really gave my guitar playing a shot.

The truth was, I was a damn good guitar player. I have the kind of ear that can hear something one time, and then play it — albeit not like Jimmy Page can — but let’s face it, that’s a pretty unrealistic standard of comparison to use, especially straight out of the starting gate, right?

But at least I continued playing, and I had fun with my instrument during that time.

There’s a similar problem I see in business, and frankly I see it often, especially with people trying to get something off the ground. They are so preoccupied with making sure they’ll have a “real” business, they don’t think that the first time you do anything, whether it’s picking up a guitar, riding a bicycle, or starting a business — that the end result down the line will be dramatically different than it is today.

For instance, this year we’ll do close to 7 figures — but three and a half years ago when I started my business online, all I had was a webpage and a few people who knew me from writing copy. If I’d have “waited”, guess what would have happened?

Yep — nothing!

So if you are having trouble getting started, here are a few words of wisdom I think will help you: Don’t sit there thinking you’re expecting to roll out something that’s going to make you the next Bill Gates — at least don’t think that until your doors open. Just try to make ONE dollar doing whatever it is you do. As soon as you’ve made that ONE dollar, guess what?

You now have a “real” business.

Then go for $100 dollars… then maybe $100 a month, or $100 a week. If you do this, chances are your business will be profitable, and the other thing that will happen is your learning curve will be incrementally HUGE — as will your increase in profits.

New ideas will come to you, new strategies will appear in front of you, and you’ll suddenly find yourself in the same position Napoleon Hill mentions in Think And Grow Rich: the money will come to you so fast and furiously, you’ll wonder where it was hiding all this time.

Of course, many people don’t want to hear this because they are so afraid of taking their fist step, it’s much easier to justify their delay by saying things are just “not ready” yet.

But the truth is, EVERYbody’s ready to make ONE dollar, right?

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

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About the Author

Craig GarberAuthor of "How To Make Maximum Money With Minimum Customers, " and publisher of Seductive Selling - an offline marketing newsletter currently read in 15 countries, world-wide. In a nutshell, I do two things:
1. I show you how to attract a reliable, steady stream of pre-qualified leads who are ready to do business with you NOW...
2. And I increase your net profits and cash-flow, by increasing your customer, client, or patient value -- often, dramatically.
How do I do this? By developing, and helping you implement, unique, personalized lead generation and marketing strategies... using compelling sales messages that push your customers emotional buy-buttons.
I've worked with over 300 clients in more than 104 different industries, since March of 2000, and I really enjoy what I do.
I'm a stable, reliable, happily married family guy with three kids who loves life and always follows through on my commitments and promises. I love to listen to music, workout, read, travel with my family, take pictures, and go bass fishing. I always say "Yes," when it comes to good cigars, good books, and good coffee :-)

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